"Many of them are affected by the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangements and come in on a special category visa - as do all New Zealand citizens - so that means they're not eligible for social security or Centrelink [welfare] or indeed study support," she said.

For students like Sefo Masame a university degree can come at a big economic cost.

"My dad is the only one working at the moment. I do some work but he's the one providing for all of us," he said.

You can have your sport but it's not at the exclusion of doing well in education.

Dr Judith Kearney, Griffith University

"Even though I told him that if he needs me to defer my uni... but he told me, 'No, do your university, get your education because the rewards will come at the end.'"

"Masculinity in the Pacific cultures is a very interesting construct and I think the stereotype of 'the footballer' interferes to a large degree with how we see being male in Pacific cultures," she said.

"And I think what we've got to say is that, 'Yes you can have your sport but it's not at the exclusion of doing well in education.'"

In response, the university has been promoting sport as a way to entice more Pacific Islander students.

Many students say it's working.

"Now a lot of Polynesian guys, not even just Polynesian guys, just guys in general, are aspiring to want to play sport and at the same time they know they can study on the side," Senetenari Tamala said.

But Professor Chenoweth says huge challenges remain.

"We need Pacifica teachers, we need Pacifica business people, we need Pacific nurses and mid-wives to be at the Logan Hospital here where so much of the work here is with that population," she said.

Free trade is the oldest argument in federal politics and the issue that literally defined the federation era but opposition exists to the TPP, courtesy of the Investor-State Dispute Resolutions clause.